This study examines parental disciplinary techniques and other methods of influencing the behavior of children. The determinants of these techniques such as age of children, nature of children's transgressions and nature of parents' socialization goals as well as the effects of specific techniques on children's behavior are investigated. In the first phase of this study, 64 mothers and their 4-year old children were studied using a laboratory compliance task that assessed mothers' influence techniques and their effects on children's immediate and long-term compliance. Preliminary analyses indicate that parents use different patterns of techniques for long-term and short-term socialization goals. The second phase of the study will focus on parental use of discipline with children of different ages. Data will be obtained using naturalistic and laboratory methodologies.